1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to media selection. More specifically, the present invention relates to media selection based on audience conditions.
2. Description of Related Art
There are many types of media files. Media files may include static files (e.g., text and stationary graphics), dynamic files (e.g., video and/or audio), and combinations of the foregoing. These media files may be available in various formats and presented on any variety of media players.
A media player may present media files based on any variety of lists and/or based on direct user selection. For example, a playlist may be provided to the media player, which causes each media file to be played in the order provided in the playlist. The playlist may be generated and based, at least in part, on one or more user selections, on a randomizing algorithm (e.g., shuffle), or a combination of the foregoing such as the random playback of a user's top ten selections. Alternatively, the media player may receive user selections one at a time.
Various types of media players may be used to expose one or more media files to an audience. For example, presently available billboards are capable of displaying various multi-media advertising to passing pedestrian traffic. Such advertising may include a series of different types of media files. Such media files may be played and/or displayed in a timed series. In such an example, a graphical presentation may be displayed for one minute, followed by a video played for another minute, followed by a second video played for one minute, and so forth. Each media file may be played in a predetermined series or may be played at random.
Such prior art methods of media selection are not responsive to changing audience composition or conditions, which may include the gender or age of audience members or whether a particular member is paying attention to the displayed media. Unresponsiveness to changing audience composition or conditions may mean that various media files are not being displayed to their best advantage, which may affect the overall effectiveness of advertising (e.g., feminine products being advertised to a predominantly male audience). There is, therefore, a need for improved methods for audience-condition driven media selection.